Democracy Now! Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Today's Headlines

• Hurricane Gustav Hits Louisiana; Devastation Less Than Expected
• Police Arrest Nearly 300 RNC Protesters in St. Paul
• Cindy McCain and Laura Bush Speak at RNC
• Sarah Palin Linked to Sen. Stevens 527
• Thailand PM Declares State of Emergency
• Five Afghan Children Killed
• Report: Both Russia and Georgia Used Cluster Bombs

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  Amy Goodman & Two Democracy Now! Producers Arrested at RNC Protest

  More than 280 people were arrested here in St. Paul Monday, the opening day of the Republican National Convention. Among them were several journalists covering the protests in the streets, including three of us at Democracy Now! Amy was detained trying to question police officers about the arrests of Democracy Now! producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. [includes rush transcript]

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  Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) Condemns Police Intimidation of Journalists

  Democratic Congressmember Keith Ellison of Minnesota has been back in the Twin Cities this week closely monitoring the treatment of protesters and journalists at the RNC. He joins me now in St. Paul.

• 

  Hurricane Gustav Slams Louisiana: A Report from Jordan Flaherty in New Orleans

  Hurricane Gustav slammed the US Gulf Coast just west of New Orleans on Monday but has now weakened to a tropical depression. According to the National Hurricane Center, Gustav remains a flood threat as it moves over central Louisiana. Forecasters also warn that another storm, Hurricane Hanna, could hit the Gulf Coast by midweek. [includes rush transcript]

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  As the RNC Opens in St. Paul, Twin Cities Police Arrest Nearly 300; Journalists Targeted

  Gena Berglund of Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild discusses the police tactics including the targeting of journalists and use of excessive force on the street. On Monday Officers in riot gear fired rubber bullets, tear gas, pepperspray and concusion grenades at protesters and journalists.

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  Report: Secretive Right-Wing Group Vetted McCain's VP Candidate Sarah Palin

  Max Blumenthal of The Nation reports: Last week, while the media focused almost obsessively on the DNC’s spectacle in Denver, the country’s most influential conservatives met quietly at a hotel in downtown Minneapolis to get to know Sarah Palin. The assembled were members of the Council for National Policy, an ultra-secretive cabal that networks wealthy right-wing donors together with top conservative operatives to plan long-term movement strategy.

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  As RNC Opens, Iraq Veterans Against the War March in St. Paul

  We return to the streets of St. Paul, where more than one hundred members of Iraq Veterans Against the War held a rally on Monday. The antiwar vets marched to the site of the Republican National Convention. Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise Films filed this report. [includes rush transcript]

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  A Debate: Iraq Veterans Against the War vs. Vets For Freedom

  Democracy Now! speaks with Geoffrey Millard, chapter president of the IVAW in Washington, D.C., David Bellavia, Vice-Chair of Vets for Freedom and Steve Russell, founder and chair of the group Vets for Victory.